pull fixes from mainnet (#1295)

.github/pull_request_template.md

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# TITLE
+
+## Description
+
+Description of the pull request changes and motivation.
+
+## Type of change
+
+Please delete options that are not relevant.
+
+- [ ] New feature
+- [ ] Bug fix
+- [ ] Optimization
+- [ ] Refactor
+
+## Checklist
+- [ ] Linked to Github Issue
+- [ ] This change depends on code or research by an external entity
+  - [ ] Acknowledgements were updated to give credit
+- [ ] Unit tests added
+- [ ] This change requires new documentation.
+  - [ ] Documentation has been added/updated.
+- [ ] This change is an Optimization
+  - [ ] Benchmarks added/run
+- [ ] Has a known issue
+  - [Link to the open issue addressing it]() 

README.md

@@ -4,3 +4,19 @@
 > To be used in testnet only.
 
 To learn more about Aligned and how to use it, refer to the [docs page](https://docs.alignedlayer.com/) or [docs folder](./docs/).
+
+# Acknowledgements
+
+Aligned wouldn't be possible without the valuable work of these people:
+- [Ethereum](https://ethereum.org/en/), for being the network we all love
+- [EigenLayer](https://www.eigenlayer.xyz) for providing restaking and AVS
+- Shafi Goldwasser, Silvio Micali, and Charles Rackoff for [inventing ZK proofs](http://people.csail.mit.edu/silvio/Selected%20Scientific%20Papers/Proof%20Systems/The_Knowledge_Complexity_Of_Interactive_Proof_Systems.pdf)
+- Eli Ben-Sasson and [Starkware](https://starkware.co) for making them practical
+- [Consensys](https://consensys.io) for implementing the GROTH16 and PLONK protocols in [GNARK](https://docs.gnark.consensys.io)
+- [RiscZero](https://risczero.com) for its namesake [proving system](https://github.com/risc0/risc0)
+- [SuccintLabs](https://succinct.xyz) for creating [SP1](https://github.com/succinctlabs/sp1)
+- [Paradigm](https://www.paradigm.xyz) for maintaining the [Ethers crate](https://crates.io/crates/ethers) and [Foundry](https://github.com/foundry-rs/foundry)
+- [LambdaClass](https://lambdaclass.com) for writing [lambdaworks](https://github.com/lambdaclass/lambdaworks)
+
+
+If you believe we missed someone, contact us! We're always happy to give credit where it's due.